


For Whom the Rose Smiles

by witchcraftpictures



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: M/M, Revolutionary Girl Utena AU, jealous minhyuk, panicked gay kihyun, sword fights
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-14
Updated: 2019-10-20
Packaged: 2020-10-18 03:07:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20632082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/witchcraftpictures/pseuds/witchcraftpictures
Summary: All Kihyun wanted was to further his education at one of the most prestigious schools in the country but finds himself unintentionally caught up in a flurry of roses and duels, vying for the power to revolutionize the world. All Hoseok secretly wanted was to be his own person and be free from what holds him prisoner but fears there is no light at the end of the tunnel. Who will be the winner of the duels and set the Rose Bride free?





	1. Chapter 1

The first day at a new school was always awkward and anxiety-inducing no matter how confident a person you were. Kihyun definitely considered himself a pretty confident person yet here he was, reminding himself to breathe and calm down. It didn't really help matters that Ohtori Academy was such a ridiculously exclusive school that only the best of the best were accepted into it. He had heard whispers about the school growing up before his father got a job at a large corporation in another city and they had to move away. Now here he was, standing at the gates of his top tier educational future ready to backpedal and run back to the train station. There was something pulling him,  _ urging _ him to go forward but the fear of the unknown was almost as strong, this wasn’t any old school he was about to attend. He could feel himself taking a step backwards.

_ Snap out of it, Ki. Take a deep breath, think murder and own it. _

Kihyun absentmindedly spun a silver ring around his finger, a gift from his childhood best friend before he had to leave town. It was a very unassuming yet beautiful ring with a simple rose design carved into a piece of pink resin on the face of it. ' _ Don't forget me, okay? _ ' He remembered his friend sobbing as he clasped their tiny hands together, forcing the ring into Kihyun's hand as their parents had to pull the distraught children away from each other. It wasn't really the most pleasant memory and he wasn't sure why he was remembering it now of all times but something about looking through the open gate to the sprawling campus brought it to mind.

_ Murder. Think murder. You own everything and everyone. _ Kihyun ran his hand through his short pink hair, huffed out a breath and squared his shoulders. He managed to take one and a half steps before something heavy collided with his back and a pair of arms wrapped themselves around his neck. It was all he could do to keep his feet firmly planted on the ground and not topple over.

"Kiiihyuuun!!!!"  _ What a familiar voice _ ....

Kihyun barely managed to keep himself upright and was about to make a rather rude comment to his assaulter until he realized he knew this person. "Minhyuk....?"

The blonde that had attached himself like a parasite squeezed Kihyun tightly, overjoyed to see his long lost friend. He had grown of course and his hair was pink now but Minhyuk was absolutely certain of his prey’s identity. "Oh my god I can't believe it's really you! It’s been so long! Oh my god oh my god oh my god!" 

"Don't.. Don't you think you should verify who you're pouncing on before you do it....?" As happily surprised as he was to see Minhyuk, who he thought he'd never see again, to say he was a bit taken aback that the other young man would just latch onto someone without warning was an understatement. Very Minhyuk though.

Minhyuk reluctantly let go of Kihyun only to grab his left arm as if it was the only way to keep Kihyun there with him and real. Of course he took the opportunity to link their fingers and started tugging his friend through the gates towards the main campus building. Kihyun didn't really have much of a choice but to let his overly enthusiastic friend pull him along. Everything was happening faster than his brain could really process.

Halfway to the building Kihyun managed to snap out of whatever fog his brain was in and stopped abruptly and yanked his arm away from his friend, causing Minhyuk to almost fall backwards. He turned to look at Kihyun, who looked like he was fighting a few tears for the sake of not looking like a loser in front of the other students who were heading towards school around them.

"Kihyun?"

"I've been gone for what feels like forever and somehow we end up at the same school? You never wrote back or called all this time. You're such an asshole."

"You kept the ring though."

Kihyun looked down at the ring on his left hand.

"What does that have to do with anything?!"

Minhyuk smiled, bright as the sun and completely unphased by the edge to Kihyun's voice. "We were always together! The ring kept us together. I mean, I'm sorry about not writing or calling cause I missed you and would have just cried the whole time and the paper would have turned to mush. But you're here and I'm here and this year is gonna be so awesome!"

Kihyun was knocked speechless, by both his friend’s ever-charming smile and his words. He wasn't sure he would entirely forgive all the years of feeling like Minhyuk forgot about him and acting almost as if they had never been apart. Deep inside he was actually really glad for a familiar face. He never had trouble making friends but it was always a relief to have someone you were, if not still but at one time, comfortable with. 

"You're such an idiot." Kihyun sighed, trying to act exasperated by his sunshine friend but his small smile gave him away.

Minhyuk took the almost invisible smile on his friend’s face as all he needed to grab his hand again and start pulling him back towards the school.

"Come on, Ki! Were gonna be late for homeroom if we don't hurry." 

"Right." Kihyun let himself be led to their homeroom class to get the day started. As the two walked, hands tightly clasped together, he couldn't help but notice in passing another young man with short lilac dyed hair, books held close to his chest and almost dull eyes pointed towards the ground walking slightly behind another student who was dressed in a different uniform than everyone else with an air of importance and arrogance about him. They looked like they were together, albeit a bit reluctantly on the part of the former. He didn't have much time to dwell on it as Minhyuk dragged him through the school doors and away towards their classroom.

\------------------------------------------------------

The first day of classes for the first semester had finally ended and Kihyun couldn't have been happier. Not that things went poorly, quite the opposite in fact. Everyone seemed to love him, much to Minhyuk's distaste. The fact that everyone was so friendly really made things easier. Sometimes it was a little too friendly, like when he went to his photography class and people seemed to hover around him instead of working on their own assignments. Minhyuk even followed him to the class even though he wasn't enrolled in it. It was like the other students couldn’t get enough of the cute new kid and had to soak in his presence as much as possible. It made him a little uncomfortable but he took it in stride as best as he could.

Minhyuk hugged him tight before the two split ways to their respective dorms, which Minhyuk complained about being on opposite sides of the campus from each other. Kihyun couldn't help but chuckle to himself as the blonde would stop and turn to wave every few steps as if it was the last time he'd get to see him again before he finally turned and walked through a corridor that opened up into a large atrium in the direction of his own dorm. The architecture of the academy was amazing to Kihyun and he couldn't help but turn his camera on to take a few shots when he heard muffled arguing from what looked to be a rose garden enclosed with a large golden bird cage-like structure on the other side of the open space. He pointed his camera towards it and zoomed in, noticing that the two people from earlier in the morning were inside the garden having what looked and sounded like a very heated one-sided argument. He snapped a couple pictures of the dramatic scene, no faces however. No one had noticed him so he took the opportunity to observe the lilac haired man that caught his attention that morning.

The man’s skin was smooth and blemish-free, reminding Kihyun of the most expensive pearls in the world. With how pale he was it made the color of his hair look more vibrant than it actually was. He was very muscular, something Kihyun hadn't noticed earlier.  _ Really _ muscular, like he could easily lift Kihyun one-handed without even batting an eyelash or breaking a sweat. For someone so built he had a very meek vibe to him and it was rather confusing. The other man in the garden was the same pompous looking guy from earlier, all dark haired, sharp and important looking in his student council uniform. He was berating the other for something Kihyun couldn't make out. He didn't know why Muscles was just standing there letting the other yell at him, he could have easily taken him out with one half-assed punch.

Kihyun felt himself slowly inching closer to the garden, almost drawn in by what was happening. He felt terrible for basically eavesdropping even though he couldn't hear any actual words that were being said. Then all of a sudden the smaller of the two raised a hand and the lilac haired boy flinched and Kihyun’s mind went blank. He had never run that fast in his life but before he knew it he was in between the two with the council member's wrist tightly in his hand. He heard a soft gasp behind him.

"Who the fuck are you?"

Kihyun glared daggers at the student council member he was currently keeping from hitting Muscles behind him. "Doesn't really matter, you shouldn't hit your boyfriend no matter how bad the argument."

The dark haired one looked taken aback at first and then started laughing. " _ Boyfriend _ ? He’s not my boyfriend. He’s the rose bride and I can do whatever I want to him."

_ Rose bride? _ Kinhyun wondered what that even was. He took a quick glance over his shoulder at Muscles who looked just short of scared out of his mind and it pretty much solidified in his mind that he had done the right thing by stepping in. How could anyone hit such a cute face?

"Wha.. What do you mean 'rose bride'?" Kihyun asked, turning back to student council.

"What do I mean?  _ Really _ ? How stupid are you?" A scoff and slight nod towards their joined hands. "You're wearing the rose crest, you should know exactly what I mean."

Kihyun also looked at their hands, then to student council’s other hand at his side that he was amazed hadn’t come up to sock him yet. He was sure his expression turned from anger to shock, the guy had the same ring as him! Kihyun dropped student council’s wrist like it was on fire but didn't move out of the way.

"How did you get that?"

"Those chosen by the End of the World have one. Damn, how did you even get into this school?"

Kihyun was getting irritated. The confusion of the situation he had gotten himself into and the asshole calling him stupid. "I don’t know what you’re talking about. You know what, it doesn’t even matter. I'm not going to let you hit him, rose bride or not."

Student council laughed again. Kihyun was getting annoyed by that laugh. He wasn’t sure who pissed in his cheerios that morning for him to be such an asshole. "Won’t let me? I already told you, he's the rose bride and he's engaged to me. I do what I want. Unless you'd like to challenge me to a duel?" He had a strange glint in his eyes, like he was excited at the prospect of a fight.

Kihyun wasn't exactly sure what he meant by  _ duel _ . He also wasn't sure if he would be able to win a fight. They were about the same size but the student council member had such an overwhelmingly intimidating and almost violent aura that it made him seem larger than life. What he was damn sure of though was that he wanted to wipe that smirk off his stupid smug face. Even just one solidly placed punch would have been sufficient, win or lose. "Sure. I'll fight you."

The other man's smirk just got bigger, full of teeth and menace. "Great. See you after last class tomorrow at the forest behind campus." 

All of a sudden it seemed like Muscles found his voice and quickly moved around Kihyun before the pink haired man could stop him. "Changkyun, don't do this. He's obviously not a duelist, he's just gonna get hu-" he was cut off with Changkyun’s open palm landing across his face with a loud, painful smack.

"Shut up, Hoseok. He already agreed to the duel." Changkyun shook his hand a bit, looking at the man he just slapped a lot harder than he thought he did. "I expect you home as soon as you're done tending the roses." He didn't even wait for a response before turning and leaving, as if he couldn’t even be bothered to waste any more time and energy on the encounter.

"Fuck. Are you okay?" Kihyun lightly put his hand on Hoseok’s shoulder who was gingerly holding his face that was quickly turning a nice shade of red where Changkyun’s hand had landed. He shifted away so Kihyun’s hand didn’t quite make full contact and straightened himself up. Sure, there were some tears in his eyes but his expression didn't have anything for Kihyun to read into.

"Yeah, I’m okay. You really shouldn't have done that though. Changkyun will really hurt you." The sound of Hoseok’s voice was like music to Kihyun’s ears even if the message wasn't the most pleasant. 

Kihyun balled his hands up at his sides and tried to calm himself down. The whole situation was off, not to mention the way these two strangers acted. "He's a dick and I’m not gonna let him hit you again. I can't believe he managed to do that.. Dammit!" Kihyun couldn't help but stomp his feet a bit in frustration with himself for failing.

Hoseok chuckled but it sounded hollow. "Really, you don't have to. I'd hate it if you got hurt on my account."

Kihyun wondered in the back of his mind what Hoseok sounded like when he really, truly laughed. He was going to beat up a student council member and find a way to make it happen. A genuine laugh with a smile to go with it. He wasn't entirely sure where these thoughts were coming from but that didn't matter much in the moment.

"I’m Yoo Kihyun, by the way. Hopefully I’ll see you around campus more?"

Hoseok looked Kihyun up and down briefly then nodded slightly. "Maybe we will." 

For some reason that he wasn’t sure of it didn't bother him at all that his new acquaintance didn't give him his name in return. He gave him a small smile, a little wave and went to leave before pausing. "Don't forget to put ice on your cheek." Hoseok nodded again and Kihyun finally turned and left in a hurry. He had so much to talk to Minhyuk about in the morning and figure out how someone else had the same ring as the one Minhyuk had given him.


	2. Chapter 2

“Kihyun, what the actual fuck.”   
  
“Dammit Min, shut up!” Kihyun was not happy with his best friend whatsoever. They were seated at a more secluded table in the large dining hall, talking over breakfast about everything that had happened to Kihyun the previous afternoon. The conversation was  _ supposed _ to be hush-hush but leave it to Minhyuk to make loud, attention drawing statements. Some other students briefly looked their way.   
  
“I’m sorry, Ki. You literally just told me you are going to fight the scariest member of the student council who is also  _ younger than you _ . It’s only the second day of the semester. What in gay hell did you expect me to respond with?” Minhyuk muffled around spoonfuls of whatever fruit flavored cereal the cafeteria had that morning.   
  
“I don’t know…” Kihyun sighed heavily and pushed his eggs-over-medium around on his plate. He wasn’t regretting his decision to stand up to a bully, no matter how muscular and strong the person he was protecting was. Was he worried about how he was going to explain to the school nurse why he had broken bones and blood everywhere? He sure was. Day two and already preparing to have to be hospitalized, mom and dad would be so proud of him. He wasn’t going to go down without putting up one hell of a fight though.   
  
Minhyuk flicked a mostly dry fruit loop at Kihyun’s head with his spoon before resuming eating and talking at the same time. “I still don’t know why you stepped in for that Lee kid. He’s so weird.” A pause to swallow his chewed-up cereal and replace it with more. “I mean, yeah he’s hot but he has zero personality. He just follows whichever student council member barks orders at him that day. His eyes are so dead and cold. It gives me the creeps.”   
  
Kihyun scowled at his friend’s antics with the cereal and shoved his own plate of almost cold breakfast away. It wasn’t even close to the end of the day and he was already a bundle of nerves about the fight. He was sure if he put one more bite of eggs in his mouth he was going to projectile vomit all over his blonde companion.   
  
“That’s really fucking rude, Min. He seemed really nice. I’m still so mad that douchebag managed to hit him.” Kihyun balled up his hand in a fist and had to keep himself from slamming it down on their table. “Speaking of that arrogant student council jerk, he had the same ring as the one you gave me.”   
  
Minhyuk dropped his spoon with a loud clatter and stared at the pink haired boy across the table from him. “Wh-what? That’s impossible. I gave you that ring and there’s no way there’s more of them!”   
  
“Yeah, I don’t know. He called it a rose crest and kept calling me an idiot for not knowing what it was. Maybe he’s just got some psychosis to go with being so intimidating.”   
  
“I guess…. “ Minhyuk seemed just as confused as Kihyun had been upon finding out that someone else had the same ring. His moment of confusion was gone just as quick as it came. “I still can’t believe you’re going to fight him though. You’re so stupid. I love you, but you’re going to get your ass kicked so bad.”   
  
Kihyun made a distressed noise in the back of his throat and put his forehead down against the table. He really was going to get his ass kicked and he couldn’t remember ever being quite as fucked as he was now.    
  
\-----------------------------------------------------   
  
Time always seemed to move slower when you were watching every clock you could, hyper focused on the seconds and minutes and hours as they ticked away. Kihyun felt like he was going crazy. His last class was about to end and that meant he had to go to the creepy forest behind campus. A forest that Minhyuk had let him know was completely against the rules to enter. Not only was he going to get his ass kicked, he was also going to be trespassing.  _ Great. Fantastic. Hospital visit and a trip to jail. How could this get any worse? _   
  
The final bell rang. Kihyun’s day immediately became worse. Kihyun passed his school bag off to Minhyuk for safe keeping as he didn’t have time to get all the way across campus to his dorm room and back before regretting every life choice he had ever made in the last few days. Minhyuk gave him two thumbs up and wished him luck with the promise of a soft bed to recover on at his dorm. He also promised to nurse  _ his precious Kihyun _ back to health which earned him an exaggerated roll of the eyes and a muttered ‘yeah, thanks’ before Kihyun left the classroom to begin the trek to the forbidden forest of his impending doom. 

For a place that was one hundred percent off limits to students, the forest was surprisingly close to the main campus. It took an underwhelming six minutes twenty three and a half seconds to make it to the heavily gated entrance to the forest. It wasn’t even normal gating. The entrance looked as if it was some elegant stone carving from medieval times when castles were the norm. It was just as stunning as the school itself, if Kihyun was being honest. The gate’s beauty was the absolute last thing on his mind at that moment however. He was supposed to be meeting Changkyun inside for their little fight but he had no idea how the intricately carved gate even opened. He looked around a bit, trying to find something that resembled a handle or part in the gate. There were no cracks whatsoever. He was frustrated. All he wanted was to get this over with and get one good punch in before being admitted to the ICU with massive trauma. He pretended to punch the gate with his left hand as if it would accomplish anything which seemed to somehow cause a chain reaction. His ring started giving off a faint glow and the massive gate groaned before it slowly parted to allow a now stunned Kihyun entry to his doom.  
  
As soon as he had entered the gates shut tight behind him. There was literally nowhere to go but… up? Stairs formed in the foliage in front of him like some sort of guide to his own personal hell. _Gotta get me good and tired so I can’t even get a punch in. What a dick._ With no other option, Kihyun headed up the stairs that seemed as if they would never end. The higher he climbed the more the foliage went from shades of green to roses the color of blood with thorns to contrast with the softness of all of the flowers lining the path. To say it was a little unnerving was an understatement. Kihyun’s mother did not raise a quitter so there was no way he was going to back down and disgrace his family name. A few times he had to pause to catch his breath and remind himself that he was a badass and no creepy bloody rose garden was going to scare him.  
  
After what felt like forever and a few thorn stabs to the hands Kihyun finally made it to another set of intricate gates, though these were made of steel and molded to look like roses. The top of the gate reminded him of a fancier version of a guillotine he had seen in his history textbooks. He gave an experimental push to one side of the gate and it swung open. That was a good sign, at least he was basically at the site of his demise. The scene in front of him was nothing less than mind boggling. Standing on what could only be described as a massive floating platform that overlooked the school campus and covered in what he was sure was _at least_ a million roses of varying shades of red and stages of bloom. He would have loved to have seen such a spectacle under different, less terrible circumstances from the viewfinder of his camera. Kihyun had never seen so many flowers in his entire life, let alone seen the structure from campus grounds, it was way too large to not be seen yet from the school it didn’t even exist. He made his way through the garden, stepping carefully to not damage any of the delicate flowers until he finally came to a small clearing in the middle of the sky high platform. Changkyun was standing there with what looked like a sword in hand, Hoseok at his side like a dutiful servant, eyes cast downward. The right side of his face had a faint purple tone to it that was only noticeable if you looked hard enough. _Probably tried to hide it with makeup..._ It made Kihyun’s blood boil and reminded him exactly why he was willing to accept bodily harm for the sake of another person he didn’t even know.  
  
“I see you finally made it. You ready for this, shrimp?” Changkyun was still as much of an arrogant prick as the previous day, with that smirk to go along with it.  
  
“Are you?” Kihyun tried to give off an attitude to make himself feel bigger than he actually was. It was a tactic he had to learn after his family had moved and people tried to bully him for his smaller size. _Murder. Think murder._  
  
Changkyun nodded to Hoseok who pinned a dark purple rose that matched the accenting of his councilmember uniform to his breast pocket before walking across the clearing to Kihyun. Kihyun couldn’t help but watch him as he moved. He had a grace that someone his size probably shouldn’t have. Once Hoseok was close enough to make Kihyun a ball of nerves inside he pinned a fitting blush colored rose to Kihyun’s breast pocket as he had with Changkyun. He hesitated before pulling away.  
  
“Kihyun… You don’t have a sword.”  
  
Kihyun almost choked on his own breath.  
  
“S-sword? What happened to normal high school fights?”  
  
Hoseok’s expression briefly flashed with worry before neutrality took over again. He hurried to Changkyun’s side and grabbed ahold of his jacket sleeve.  
  
“Changkyun, call the duel off. He can’t fight without a sword.”  
  
Changkyun only laughed. He was hungry for this fight. He needed to put this new upperclassman in his place which was conveniently on his knees begging for mercy.  
  
“You came to a duel without a sword? You really are a fucking idiot.”  
  
Off in the distance bells could be heard ringing. It only spurred Changkyun on more.  
  
“See? Even End of the World approves this duel! Out of the way, Hoseok!”  
  
Changkyun pushed the rose bride roughly to the side and pulled his sword from it’s scabbard. The blade shone in the afternoon light. Kihyun was mostly okay until he saw the weapon in all it’s destructive glory and that was when his brain kicked into overdrive. There was _no way_ he was getting out of this one. Minhyuk was going to have to call his parents to tell them their only son died in one-sided combat against some high school thug parading as a member of the student council. How was he supposed to know you had to bring a freaking sword, let alone where to even get one. This was absolutely _not_ how this was supposed to go and Changkyun was approaching him in probably the most menacing way anyone had ever closed any distance in his presence before.  
  
_Think, Ki, think! There has got to be something here that can save your stupid ass…_ He looked around frantically. They were in a huge flower garden, there had to be a hoe or some other gardening tool with a steel or iron end that would at least help deflect whatever was coming his way. _There!_ Kihyun sprinted over to what he was hoping would be something with a sharp pointy end on it. As soon as he picked it up he felt his heart drop in the pit of his stomach. It was a broom. _A_ _fucking wooden broom_. It was better than nothing but against the steel of what looked like a very high quality Japanese sword? He was as good as dead. Adrenaline was coursing through his veins._ You got this. Hit him in the right place and he’ll go down like a stack of bricks. I hope_.  
  
Kihyun broke the end of the broom off so all he was left with was the long handle. He was scared pretty much shitless at this point but he wasn’t going to listen to his better judgement and forfeit. Giving up wasn’t in his DNA no matter how terrified he was. He turned towards his opponent who let out a howl of laughter. _Fuck_, he was so tired of that laugh.  
  
“You’re going to fight me with _that_? You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that.” Changkyun was thoroughly enjoying the whole thing. Before Kihyun could even internally cuss the guy out he was on the move, faster than Kihyun expected and he barely had time to get his wooden pole up to block the sword from digging into his shoulder. The wood creaked but thankfully didn’t give. He pushed Changkyun away and attempted to swing his makeshift sword at the side of his head, only for his opponent to easily hack away a foot off the end. _Shit._  
  
Kihyun’s short attempt at an offensive did nothing to give Changkyun pause, coming after Kihyun harder and barely giving him time to block the blows coming his way. There was _no_ way the outcome of this was going to be good. The blade of Changkyun’s sword kept playfully meeting his flesh and the cuts to his arms, torso and legs were adding up fast. He figured that it was how a million papercuts with lemon juice and salt on them must feel, only worse. Kihyun felt his body dropping to his knees against his will. He was exhausted and his ‘sword’ was nothing but wood scraps around him. Changkyun halted his assault to gloat.  
  
“Aww, tired already? What happened to protecting the princess? Some prince you are. You’re nothing more than a disgrace.” He pulled a cloth from his back pocket to wipe the traces of Kihyun’s blood off the blade of his sword so it would be perfect when he finished his opponent. He was done playing with him. “Let’s end this. I’ll wipe you from this world.”  
  
Kihyun forced himself back up and spat in Changkyun’s direction. He wasn’t going to go down that easy, especially not on his knees.   
  
“Bring it, bitch.” Kihyun wiped the sweat from his brow and motioned for Changkyun to come at him.  
  
“As you wish.” Changkyun smirked then launched himself towards Kihyun, blade raised and ready to land the final blow.  
  
Kihyun stood his ground, mentally preparing himself to feel the sharpness of the steel and the warm wetness of his own blood, only it didn’t come. Instead of clashing with his opponent Hoseok was in front of him, arms around him and the two of them were falling from a ledge he wasn’t even aware had been there. The two landed in a bed of roses, Kihyun stunned but not noticing the pain from his wounds or from landing on his back with someone as big as Hoseok over him.  
  
“You can’t fight without a sword, Kihyun.”  
  
Suddenly everything became warm and it looked like a sword was materializing from Hoseok’s chest. _Wha… What the fuck is going on..._Kihyun couldn’t tear his eyes away from what was happening. He didn’t dare blink or breathe for fear of it being a dream. Or was it fear of it being reality? He wasn’t sure which but the glittering sword was most definitely _not_ an illusion and the voice in the back of his mind urging him to grab ahold of the sword was more real than anything he had experienced in his life previously.  
  
Hoseok looked strained from whatever it was that had just happened but moved out of the way, his almost shocked expression betraying his normal neutrality. The Sword of Dios didn’t just appear for anyone.  
  


Kihyun looked wide-eyed at the sword in his hands. It felt like it was made just for him. Not too heavy that it made wielding it awkward but enough weight that if he moved it just right it would be lethal. He had never seen anything like it, long thin blade with a gold and black hilt and hand guard inlaid with a large blue stone.  _ How the fuck did this come out of his chest?! _ Kihyun was brought out of his internal interrogation by having to quickly block Changkyun’s sword yet again, only this time he didn’t worry as much about his opponent's blade causing him bodily harm. He had his own  _ real _ weapon now. Changkyun was  _ pissed _ . No, that didn’t properly explain the venom in the other man’s expression. It was like the very sight of Kihyun with something that apparently wasn’t supposed to be his was the most infuriating thing in the world. The fact that he seemed to have gotten under Changkyun’s skin was almost invigorating. Sure, he was pretty much beat to hell and no amount of bandages were going to suffice but maybe he did have a chance after all. The fighting continued with Kihyun on defence blocking every attack until the two combatants separated again, both out of breath but not willing to give up.    
  
There was an eerie silence in the garden for what felt like an eternity but was only a few seconds before the two launched themselves at their opponent with the intent of ending this duel for good. A brief clash of swords later and the two stood opposite each other, Changkyun staring wide eyed at the remnants of the rose on his chest in horror and Kihyun a little worse for wear but sporting a completely intact and untouched rose. The sun had finally begun to set and the warm, inviting colors in the sky fit perfectly to Kihyun’s unexpected success as the bells rang for the second time, signifying that the duel was officially over and Changkyun had lost.   
  
“Hoseok! Get over here now!” He barked with panic in his voice as Hoseok ignored his order and continued to Kihyun to make sure he was okay. Kihyun about jumped out of his skin as soon as Hoseok’s soft hands were on him and checking all of the numerous cuts inflicted by his now furious and ignored opponent. It hadn’t even crossed his mind that the sword was now gone as if it had never existed in the first place.   
  
“Whoa whoa whoa! Wh-what are you doing? I-I’m okay, you don’t have to do that!” Kihyun lightly swatted Hoseok’s almost-invasive hands away, face as pink as his hair and eyes wide.   
  
Hoseok took the smaller man’s nervousness in stride and moved to lead him from the duelist garden. “I just want to make sure you’re okay. He really hurt you. I told you he would, Kihyun.” His voice was as soft as his hands had been.   
  
“I know, you did say that. But I won! Now you don’t have to deal with that asshole anymore. Seriously though..” Kihyun paused to bat a wandering hand away again.” _ Please _ stop that. It’s making me uncomfortable.”   
  
As soon as the request had been made, Hoseok’s hands stopped their inspection of all of Kihyun’s cuts and bruises and the larger man walked next to him. Kihyun thought he saw the faintest of smiles on his face but he wasn’t sure. They finished their walk with a peaceful silence between the two while Changkyun was still in the rose garden cursing Kihyun to hell and back for taking  _ his _ bride from him. It wouldn’t be the end of the matter, he was sure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> changkyun stans pls don't be mad, he was the most fitting intimidation-wise for the part of initial big bad and will be eventually redeemed, i swear it. ;; i love him very much.


	3. Chapter 3

Sunlight shining through the cracks in the blinds woke Kihyun up the next morning. He tried to stretch his tiredness away but quickly put a stop to that as soon as he felt the sting of the now-bandaged cuts all over his body. _Oh yeah…_ The events of the previous day flooded back into his mind. The fight with that haughty student council member. Swords clashing. Changkyun’s flower destroyed. Hoseok half leading him from the restricted forest-turned rose garden. He remembered having to stop Hoseok multiple times from following him to Minhyuk’s dorm. ‘_Hey, I really appreciate you wanting to make sure I’m okay but really, I’m fine. Hoseok, wasn’t it? It’s okay if you go back to your dorm, I can walk back on my own. This place is really safe so I don’t think we’ll run into trouble.’_ The larger man had given him an almost confused look before making a move to follow again before Kihyun had to firmly put a hand on his chest to stop him. _‘I have to go now, Minhyuk’s waiting for me and I’m sure he’s really worried. I’ll see you at school on Monday, okay?’ _Kihyun remembered running away from Hoseok as fast as his tired legs would carry him and when he made it to his best friend’s dorm looking like he had gone through a blender. Minhyuk had been surprised and worried at his appearance but there was definitely some relief that it wasn’t as bad as the two had expected.  
  
Minhyuk had let Kihyun have a moment to himself in the shower to process everything. As soon as his pink haired friend was done he sat him down and got out the first aid kit from the bathroom. He bandaged all of the cuts coloring Kihyun’s flesh red and let the smaller man tell him everything that had happened. That it didn’t end up being a fist fight like they had expected and there were actual swords. He had to explain where all the borderline razor thin cuts came from because there was no way his sharp-eyed friend was going to believe anything less. He conveniently left out the fact that he had watched a sword come out of Hoseok’s chest and said Changkyun had brought a second sword so it would be a fair fight. His mind was still reeling, not sure how much of what had happened had been real and what had been an illusion. Minhyuk listened intently until he was finished then decided that the way Kihyun was starting to ramble meant it was time for bed. That was the last thing Kihyun really remembered about the night before. Kihyun assumed it really was the weekend, judging by the fact that Minhyuk was still curled up peacefully next to him with a handful of Kihyun’s borrowed t-shirt instead of in class.  
  
It took quite a bit of skill to get himself out of Minhyuk’s grasp without waking him but somehow he managed. No use in waking up his friend who needed as much rest as he could get just to see him out. He scribbled a little note to Minhyuk thanking him for such great care and he’d see him later before grabbing his things and making his exit as quietly as possible. Minhyuk was none the wiser and only sprawled out on his bed with a heavy sigh, still dead to the world.  
  
It must have been earlier than he thought because the campus was empty as he headed back to his own dorm. It was definitely something Kihyun was thankful for, he was still wearing the basketball shorts and oversized t-shirt Minhyuk had loaned him and he wasn’t the kind of person to appreciate being seen in public in anything short of perfection. Yet another thing he had picked up to combat bullies over the years. If you dressed, looked and felt confident people were a lot less likely to treat you poorly. He made a quick stop at the mailroom to grab the mail he didn’t pick up the day before and hurried up to his room on the second floor. Once in his blissfully private dorm he set his school bag and uniform from the previous day on the floor before going to his desk to go through the mail. The usual, junk and a check from his father for his living expenses. As he was flipping through he noticed an unusual looking envelope with no names, not even a return address and it had a pink wax seal with a rose stamped into it. The design of the stamp perfectly matched the design in his ring and he hesitated to open it. Curiosity won over in the long run and he carefully opened the envelope and pulled out the letter inside. Where the envelope was blank the letter inside looked remarkably official and had a small golden key attached. It stated that as of that very day he was to promptly move into a new dorm closer to the main campus, that his current dorm already had a new occupant ready to move in as soon as he was out.   
  
He read the letter over and over again as if the more times he read it it would say something different. He had only been in this dorm for a few weeks! It wasn’t that he had a lot of things with him and moving would be difficult to do, it was just that school had just started and he was finally getting comfortable. _Oh well, an order is an order I guess…_ Kihyun was broken out of his thoughts when Bazzi’s ‘Myself’ started playing in his bag and he hurried to dig out his cell phone. _Minhyuk. Of course. _It was no surprise that Minhyuk had put his own number in Kihyun’s phone with a song of his choosing for a ringtone. He slid his finger across the screen and held the phone to his ear.  
  
“Why did you leave me this morning, Kiki? I was so comfy…”  
  
Minhyuk’s sleepy whine made Kihyun smile a little to himself.   
  
“I’m sorry Min. I needed to check my mail and get some things taken care of today.” He scanned the odd but demanding letter again. “Looks like I have to move into a new dorm today.”  
  
“What?! You just got settled! That’s so not fair.” Minhyuk was definitely awake now. “Do you want me to help you? I’ll be there in like five minutes.”  
  
Before Kihyun could even respond Minhyuk had hung up and five minutes later, just as promised, the blonde was letting himself into Kihyun’s room. He had to have ran as fast as he could across campus yet he didn't seem winded at all. It didn’t take the two long to get everything packed up into the suitcases Kihyun had in his closet and they were making the trek to the building that was going to be Kihyun’s new home. The two stopped in front of the large double doors and Minhyuk looked visibly uncomfortable about going in.  
  
“Min? Are you okay?”   
  
“Why are they making you move here? This place has been empty for years… It gives me the creeps.” Minhyuk shuddered.  
  
_Empty for years?_ Was the school really moving him into an abandoned building? Was this punishment for the fight he picked with a student council member? Thoughts started racing in his head and he felt the blood drain out of his face. How bad was this place going to be inside? It looked well kept up from the outside but at this point he was worried. He didn’t mind cleaning up his room but the whole place was a daunting task he wasn’t sure he was up to.  
  
“I don’t really have a choice, Min. Let’s just get this over with already.” Kihyun adjusted the bags he was carrying and went to open the door and find his room. To his surprise the inside of the building looked very much lived in and had a welcoming feel to it. There was a vase of fresh roses on the table under the mailboxes and not a speck of dust anywhere to be seen. He looked over to Minhyuk who looked just as shocked as he did.  
  
“Abandoned for years, huh? This doesn’t look very abandoned.”  
  
Minhyuk shrugged his shoulders as best as he could with the bags he carried. “How was I supposed to know they finally decided to use the building.” The two managed to drag the bags up the stairs and down the hall to what was to be Kihyun’s new room. On the wall next to the door was a metal plaque with his name on it. Definitely his.  
  
Minhyuk set all of Kihyun’s things he was carrying down. “I figure you can get yourself settled.” He held a hand up as Kihyun was about to protest his lack of continued help. “I’m sorry Ki. I promised to meet someone and I’m gonna be late if I don’t go now. Please don’t be mad. Let me know when you get settled!” Minhyuk kissed him on the forehead and then was down the stairs and out the door before the smaller of the two could even respond.  
  
_What the fuck just happened?_ Kihyun looked at the now-closing front door over the railing and sighed in defeat. He had been hoping his friend would at least help him unpack but couldn’t really fault him for having other friends and plans, Kihyun had been gone from his life a while and couldn’t expect someone to not find new people to spend time with. He returned his attention to the door to his room and dug the key from the letter out of his pocket. Another surprise for the day, the door seemed to already be unlocked. Kihyun closed his eyes and took a deep breath before pushing the door open, prepared for the absolute worst. When he opened his eyes he was greeted with the complete opposite. The room was massive and just as spotless as the rest of the building that he had seen. To the far side near the window was none other than Hoseok putting clean sheets on the lower bunk. The lilac haired man looked up when he heard the door open and gave Kihyun a big smile that still didn’t quite reach his eyes.  
  
“Kihyun! You made it! I was beginning to worry.” Hoseok went to the stunned Kihyun and took the bags from his arms with ease, as well as the ones Minhyuk had left on the floor and brought them into the room. Kihyun was still just standing dumbly in the doorway, not really able to process exactly what was going on. Hoseok carefully set everything down and moved to gently lead Kihyun into the room and into a chair at one of the desks. The smaller man’s silence was worrisome.   
  
“Are you okay? Do I need to get you anything? Kihyun?”  
  
Hearing his name snapped him back to reality and he stood up quickly, the chair Hoseok had sat him in screeching backwards against the wood floor.  
  
“H-hoseok! What... What’s going on? What are you doing here?”   
  
Hoseok righted the chair and put his hands on Kihyun’s shoulders to get him to sit back down. If Kihyun hadn’t been so completely confused he would have made a mental note of how careful the stronger man was with him, as if he was trying his hardest not to do any harm. He was avoiding any part of the smaller man that had been injured during the previous afternoon’s fight.  
  
“We’re engaged now, Kihyun. That’s how this works. We live together now.” It was said so matter-of-fact that Kihyun wasn’t really sure how to respond besides to continue to slightly panic.  
  
“Engaged. _Engaged?!_” He tried to stand up again but the pressure of Hoseok’s hands on his shoulders kept him firmly in the chair. “But we hardly even know each other! P-please tell me this is just a really cruel prank that dickbag is playing on me. ‘Let’s freak out the new kid’ right?” Kihyun looked up at Hoseok, almost begging him to reply that it was all an elaborate joke at his expense. Hoseok gave him a small, almost sad smile and moved a hand to Kihyun’s cheek briefly before moving away from him entirely to go back to his task of making the bed. He knew Kihyun had no clue what he had gotten himself into but it all seemed to be the will of the End of the World and there was no going against that.  
  
“The rose bride belongs to the winner of the duels. You won, fair and square.”  
  
\------------------------------------------------  
  
The rest of the day went by without any other strange surprises for Kihyun. Hoseok had left the building to get the two some dinner since the kitchen in their building hadn’t been cleaned yet and Kihyun had called Minhyuk to tell him what had happened. Minhyuk of course was not happy in the least bit that his Kihyun was living with and sharing the same room as a complete stranger. A weird and totally creepy complete stranger. Again, Kihyun left out some of the details. If he had thought Minhyuk was upset just at the living arrangement it would be like an atomic bomb had gone off if he even so much as hinted at the whole rose bride and engagement thing. Hell, he wasn’t even really sure what was going on himself.  
  
So far, Hoseok had been nothing but pleasant the entire day. He had happily offered to help Kihyun put his things away and made sure not to cross any invisible boundaries or ask any invasive questions. Kihyun had been right though that they didn’t know anything about each other but it had seemed like Kihyun was the only one talking about themselves. It was okay though, it helped to ease his nerves a bit and he figured he had plenty of time and opportunities to learn about his heavily muscled roommate. The one thing Kihyun did manage to learn about Hoseok was that he hated cleaning. Kihyun promised that he wouldn’t have to do anymore cleaning like he had done today and that he had really wished Hoseok had let him help. Hoseok had been quick to accept the offer of no more large cleaning tasks.  
  
When the topic of their sleeping arrangements came up Hoseok looked visibly uncomfortable. Kihyun ended up claiming the top bunk based solely on how horrified the large man looked at the prospect of having to take the top. _It’s not even that high…_ Kihyun probably would have pressed further about it and made a few good-natured jokes if Hoseok hadn’t looked so adorable in his relief that he didn’t have to have the top bunk. Top bunk was worth it.  
  
Hoseok returned not too long after Kihyun ended his call with take out and the two enjoyed their meal in comfortable silence. The food was decent but Kihyun was determined to get the kitchen cleaned up so he could start cooking them some _real_ food. Once they were finished Hoseok offered to clean up their dinner mess while Kihyun got himself cleaned up for the night and the offer was gladly accepted.  
  
Kihyun took his time in the bathroom, washing his face and then checking himself over to make sure none of his cuts had bled through any bandages. He had a brief moment of second guessing himself. Was this all really worth it just to stand up to a bully? He lightly poked at one of the worst cuts on his right side and flinched. Part of him was sure no amount of pain was worth it. As long as he didn’t move too fast it was bearable and that was enough to make him decide that it was completely worth it if it helped him see Hoseok’s true smile eventually. He finished up and headed back to his shared room to let Hoseok know it was his turn and waved a little as his roommate left.  
  
By the time Hoseok returned Kihyun had unintentionally fallen asleep sitting on the bottom bunk with his back propped up against the wall. It didn’t look particularly comfortable but Hoseok just stood by the bed watching him breathe. It was probably the calmest he had seen the smaller man since they had met two days prior. He took note of each and every bandage running up and down Kihyun’s arms and legs and the rise and fall of his chest with every inhale and exhale. It was difficult trying to figure out this perplexing person. Someone so small and fragile looking was willing to fight a more advanced opponent with nothing but a wooden broomstick all for his sake? No idea of the gravity of what he was doing on top of that. It made zero sense to Hoseok but he really couldn’t complain if he was honest. It did hurt that someone seemingly so honest and pure was now wrapped up in something so much bigger and more dangerous than was realized.  
  
Hoseok carefully moved Kihyun so he was laying down on the bed, making sure not to wake him. He resumed watching the other man sleep peacefully while trying to figure out what he was going to do. His options were to sleep on the floor, take the top bunk for the night which was definitely _not_ happening or share the bed with his roommate. The floor wasn’t really that thrilling of an option either and figuring they were engaged it wouldn’t be that big of a deal to share a bed.  
  
\-------------------------------  
  
  


The sun making it’s presence known in the morning sky by forcing it’s light through the window had Kihyun stirring awake in another unfamiliar bed. He was warm, comfortable and the arm wrapped protectively around him was so reassuring.  _ Wait… _ Kihyun slowly opened his eyes and blinked a few times to realize that he was cradled against the finely muscled chest of a very much topless Hoseok who was fast asleep and holding onto him as if he was the most precious thing in the world. It didn’t completely register at first but when it did the panic hit full force. Kihyun jerked away from Hoseok like he was lava and ended up slamming the back of his head on the underside of the top bunk. The pain was almost blinding and he curled up at the end of the bed, not able to do much else.   
  
“Son of a bitch! Fuck!” The cursing came out hissed as he held the back of his head. Perfect. Not only was he probably taken advantage of in his sleep, now his head had to be bleeding, not to mention whatever cuts he ripped open in his attempt to get away from his roommate that was now awake and staring at him in tired confusion.   
  
“Kihyun, what happened? Is everything okay?” Hoseok sat up on the bed and tried to rub the sleep from his eyes.   
  
“You tell me! What kind of person are you?!”    
  
Kihyun’s obvious anger mixed with the pain he was in took Hoseok by surprise.   
  
“We just slept. You fell asleep on my bed while I was in the shower and I didn’t want to be rude and wake you up.”   
  
It made sense. Kihyun was still in his extra large hoodie and boxers and besides not having on a shirt there was nothing about Hoseok that was exposed. Hoseok’s upset expression at being accused of such a thing was like an arrow through the heart and Kihyun instantly felt a pang of guilt for assuming the worst.   
  
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry. “   
  
Hoseok only shrugged then patted the bed in front of his crossed legs. “Come here, let me look at you.”   
  
Kihyun moved to sit in front of Hoseok with his back towards him and hesitantly pulled his hands away from the back of his head so the other man could assess the damage. It seemed like no matter how hard he tried to be tough he was always getting taken care of by someone else. First Minhyuk, now this. The way the two cared for his wounds was the complete opposite, however. Minhyuk never wanted Kihyun hurt but wasn’t afraid to use rubbing alcohol on a cut to make sure it was clean and remind him to hold still with a sharp tap. Hoseok, on the other hand, took the utmost care in causing no pain. His touch was so light Kihyun only knew he was there by the dip in the bed.    
  
“You’ll probably have a nasty headache and a bruise to go with it but no blood.” Kihyun felt Hoseok move behind him and then a hand on his right side. “Can’t say the same here. Looks like you opened up a wound.”   
  
Hoseok got up from the bed and held a hand out to Kihyun to help him up. “Let’s go to the bathroom so I can get that cleaned up for you.”    
  
He was positive he was blushing, both from nerves and shame. Somehow he had managed to open a cut and bleed through his hoodie and now he was going to have to take it off so Hoseok could clean the wound. There was no way his face wasn’t firetruck red at this point but Hoseok either didn’t notice or didn’t care because he said nothing. Kihyun took his hand and let himself be led from their room without much protest.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wanted to wait to post 4 until i had 5 finished and 6 started but 5 hates me so i'm going ahead with posting 4. not sure when 5 will be up since real life has become a bit of a bitch and is draining all of my creative energy lately but i will not stop working on this fic! ;;

Saying that the weekend had been the strangest of Kihyun’s life would have been an understatement. Not a bad kind of strange, just…  _ strange _ . Hoseok turned out to be a great roommate even if he took whatever the rose bride and engagement thing were a little too seriously for Kihyun’s comfort. It didn’t take much, a simple “please stop” and the larger man obeyed the request immediately. Part of Kihyun enjoyed the occasional closeness and the other part freaked out and made his face turn beet red in a mix of panic and embarrassment. While Kihyun embodied the phrase ‘panicked gay’ perfectly, Hoseok seemed completely unphased by anything and sometimes Kihyun thought his attractive but weird roommate must have enjoyed making him a bumbling mess. Hoseok was also very big on making sure Kihyun was okay and healing well from the duel which added to the awkwardness. He was always polite but the way he gently ran his hands over all of Kihyun’s battle wounds set the pink haired man’s skin ablaze and just thinking about it made him internally freak out.

Minhyuk had come over sunday afternoon to check up on Kihyun and bring lunch and had  _ not _ been thrilled with how overly attentive Hoseok was, especially considering he and Kihyun had only met a few days prior. Kihyun was  _ his _ best friend and no muscular, mega hot newcomer was going to shove his way in. He did everything he could that afternoon to be in the middle to keep Hoseok away from Kihyun. Kihyun had thought it odd but wasn’t going to ask his childhood friend what was going on. It was probably just his imagination, anyway.

The walk to homeroom monday morning was beyond awkward for Kihyun. Even more awkward than the first day. Hoseok was walking next to him, fake smile on his face and everything. That wasn’t the worst of it for the smaller man though. The fact that the other students were gawking at the pair was the bad part. Kihyun could hear the muttered comments about them but none panicked him more than the comments about how  _ good _ they looked together. They weren’t  _ together _ under any circumstances and thinking about it made Kihyun want to scream. Of course he wasn’t showing his discomfort externally and continued to remind himself about  _ murder _ to keep appearances up. Kihyun stopped moving as soon as he saw Minhyuk jogging towards them.   
  
“About time, Min. What took you so long?”   
  
Minhyuk lightly punched Kihyun in the shoulder in response then noticed his new adversary standing way too close to his pink haired friend. He hadn’t missed the aftermath of people gossiping and he didn’t want to say he was jealous, except he was. Beefy weird kid just had to stand there and he found himself irritated. It was stupid, he knew it was, but he couldn’t help but feel his position with Kihyun was being threatened.   
  
“I’m here now so you can go to your own homeroom.” It was basically a  _ fuck off _ but more polite. Hoseok’s lack of reaction annoyed Minhyuk more than it should have.   
  
“Minhyuk…” Kihyun shook his head at his friend before turning his attention back to his roommate. It didn’t look like he was upset which made him feel a bit better. No use in scaring a new friend away so soon. “We’re all gonna be late if we don’t hurry. I’ll see you later today, okay?”   
  
Hoseok gave Kihyun a half-smile and waved at the two smaller students before they both left to their own class. As soon as Kihyun, Minhyuk and the bulk of the other students were out of range Hoseok let out a resigned sigh before heading off to his own homeroom. Keeping up appearances wasn’t easy. He was the rose bride and had to live up to his title as much as he disliked what it meant for him. There was no going against the End of the World, no matter how soulless it made him feel at times.

  
  


\----------

  
Final bell of the day rang and Kihyun was very much ready to go crash in his room and get away from Minhyuk. He loved his friend dearly but the blonde had been overbearing all day to say the least. Minhyuk wouldn’t let Kihyun out of his sight and Kihyun wasn’t sure why. It wasn’t like he was going to disappear, the semester had basically just started and the education was way too good for him to bail now. Clingy was the best description he could come up with for how Minhyuk had been acting since meeting up with him before school started that day and it was exhausting and suffocating.   
  
“Ki, let’s go get dinner together! I’ll pay this time, I promise!”   
  
“Min, I’m really tired. I think I just want to go to sleep.” Kihyun put his things in his bag and headed towards the door, followed closely by Minhyuk.   
  
“Aww, come on! How often do I actually pay for food though?” Minhyuk was visibly pouting and upset at being turned down but Kihyun wasn’t having it. He had hoped not paying for food would have lured Kihyun in but it seemed he had failed.   
  
“I know, I know. Maybe tomorrow. I really need to take a nap before I start on homework.” Kihyun slid the door open and exited the room, only to run right into a very firm body. He would have fallen backwards into Minhyuk if the person he had walked into hadn’t wrapped an arm around his waist to steady him. Kihyun’s face lit up like a christmas light when he realized what had happened and he pulled himself away from his muscular roommate quickly but not  _ too _ quickly that he lost his footing again.   
  
“H-hoseok. I wasn’t expecting you to be there!” Kihyun was all nervous energy after having Hoseok catch him and all it did was irritate Minhyuk more that he had almost forgotten was still there.    
  
“I’m sorry. I just thought we could walk home together.” Hoseok looked a little bashful about his request. Kihyun found it very endearing and Minhyuk found it disgusting.   
  
“He’s already going to go out to dinner with me, sorry.” Minhyuk felt very angry and he wasn’t sure why something so small pissed him off so much that he felt the need to lie.   
  
Kihyun couldn’t believe his friend had just lied with him standing right there in front of him.  _ What the hell is going on? _ He adjusted his bag on his shoulder and willed the blush to disappear from his face. It didn’t work too well. “Minhyuk, I already told you I was going home to nap. What’s going on with you today?”   
  
“Nothing…” Minhyuk looked away from his friend. He was frustrated with himself for acting like a fool but also with the whole situation. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” Minhyuk pushed past Kihyun and Hoseok and left the school as quickly as he could, leaving a confused Kihyun and indifferent Hoseok behind.   
  
Kihyun couldn’t help but sigh. His friend’s antics from the day were so perplexing but he was way too tired to use energy trying to figure it out.   
  
“I’m sorry about Min… I’m not really sure what’s going on with him, he’s usually not like this.” He wasn’t sure why he felt the need to apologize for Minhyuk.   
  
Hoseok only smiled in response and ushered Kihyun in the direction of their dorm. The walk home was quiet but relaxing. They shared the comfortable silence together and Kihyun hoped they would continue to form a good friendship. He still couldn’t really wrap his mind around the whole rose bride engaged thing and Hoseok gave him his space regarding it. Kihyun hung his uniform jacket and messenger bag on the back of his desk chair once they had made it to their shared room and practically flung himself on the lower bunk. He buried his face in Hoseok’s pillow, causing Hoseok to hide a soft chuckle behind the back of his hand.   
  
“Ugh, I am so tired. I’m gonna borrow your bunk for a nap, okay?”   
  
Hoseok set his own bag down by his desk and turned to respond to his roommate but stopped himself before he spoke. Kihyun was out cold, the speed at which he passed out catching Hoseok off guard. He quietly walked over towards their bunks and squatted down in front of Kihyun. Hoseok didn’t want to wake his roommate up, if he fell asleep that fast he must really need the rest. Very lightly he poked Kihyun’s cheek and then pulled back quickly. Nothing. He tried again and still no response beyond a small sleepy sigh. Satisfied that the pink haired boy was dead to the world he sat back, hands on the floor behind him to prop himself up and just watched him sleep. Hoseok had decided he enjoyed the tranquility on Kihyun’s sleeping face and he sat and watched him until the tingle of numbness started in his hands. Occasionally his eyes wandered to the bandages still covering the healing cuts on Kihyun’s arms. He had to have been watching the smaller man sleep for an hour. Hoseok finally pushed himself up off the ground and looked at Kihyun one last time before he left their room as quietly as he could.

By the time Kihyun stirred from his unintentional nap-turned-sleep the sun was starting to set in the sky. He pushed himself up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He looked around the room, completely silent and devoid of life besides himself. His eyes landed on a small note sitting on the small table in the middle of their room and he got up to read it.   
  
_ Kihyun, I didn’t want to wake you up. I went for a walk and then to get us some dinner. I hope you don’t mind takeout again! I’ll be home soon. ~Hoseok _

Kihyun smiled to himself and set the note back on the table then looked at the clock. He had been asleep for at least three hours. How long had Hoseok been gone? The thought worried him a little. What if something happened to his new friend on his walk? The possibility of something bad happening urged Kihyun off the bed and out of the dorm building in search of Hoseok. The campus was safe, he wasn’t sure why he suddenly had this feeling of fear in the pit of his stomach but he had learned not to ignore what he felt so he hurriedly made his way around campus. He hadn’t gotten too far from the dorm building when he heard the sound of Hoseok’s voice.   
  
“Changkyun, I have to go. Kihyun’s waiting for me.”   
  
“Don’t go. Come home with me, where you belong.”   
  
Changkyun’s voice was pleading even though it still had a dangerous edge to it.   
  
Hoseok pulled his hand away from Changkyun’s grasp and held a bag of what had to be the dinner he had purchased close to his chest. “I belong to Kihyun now, Changkyun…”

Hoseok’s head snapped to the side as Changkyun slapped him as hard as he could, an angry blush immediately forming on his cheek. “You are  _ mine _ , Hoseok!”   
  
The sight of poor Hoseok getting hurt again caused Kihyun to bristle with rage and he hurried to figure out what was going on.   
  
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?!”   
  
Changkyun looked over at the quickly approaching Kihyun and smirked. “Look what the cat dragged in.”   
  
Kihyun ignored the other man’s snide comment since it wasn’t the type of response he had hoped for and turned his attention to Hoseok, gingerly putting a hand on the lilac haired man’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”   
  
Hoseok clutched the bag of food a little tighter and nodded. His affirmation calmed Kihyun slightly. Kihyun turned back towards Changkyun and fixed him with a fiery glare. Had it been anyone else, Kihyun’s fierce look would have sent them running but it didn’t nothing to phase Changkyun who only returned the glare.   
  
“Tomorrow after school in the forest. I won’t lose this time.” He walked by the two, making sure his shoulder collided with Kihyun’s hard as he passed and disappeared into the gloom of the evening. Kihyun didn’t even flatter the student council member with a response.   
  
“I’m sorry, Kihyun.. I didn’t mean to make you worry..” Hoseok looked at the ground, ashamed.   
  
Kihyun gave Hoseok’s shoulder a gentle, reassuring squeeze while ignoring the pain in his own. “I’m sorry I couldn’t stop him from hitting you again, I need to work on that. Let’s go home and eat dinner, okay?” At Hoseok’s timid nod Kihyun led his roommate back to their dorm.

\-----------------------

Kihyun was stretched out on his bed with his arms folded underneath his head, staring at the ceiling in the dark. He couldn’t get to sleep and he was sure the nap he had earlier was to blame. Or at least that was what he was telling himself. He didn’t want to duel with Changkyun again. He was particularly vicious and Kihyun’s wounds still hadn’t fully healed, adding to them was the very last thing he wanted to do. He could always throw the fight but that meant Hoseok would go back to the hands of that abusive bastard and he didn’t want that happening. If he won, this weird rose bride engagement thing would continue and he wasn’t really sure on that option either. The whole situation he found himself in was confusing and made his head hurt behind his eyes.   
  
He rolled onto his stomach and leaned over the rail on the side of the bed to look down at Hoseok, unaware that the person he was now watching sleep had done the same to him earlier that day. Even in the dark it wasn’t difficult to see the details of his face including the angry bruise where he had been slapped. Thinking about it hurt, he couldn’t really entertain the idea of throwing the fight, could he?  _ No… _ Kihyun shook his head and laid back down. He didn’t consider himself skilled when it came to fighting, especially with swords. He wasn’t even sure if he’d be able to win another fight if he was honest with himself. Would he be as lucky this fight as he was the first one or would something really bad happen? What if he couldn’t protect Hoseok anymore? Kihyun’s mind was swirling as he finally drifted off into a restless sleep.

\------------------------------------

Kihyun couldn’t get his mind off the impending fight all day. It was like his mind was in a haze and he couldn’t concentrate on anything, not even the nice box lunch Minhyuk had made for him. What was he going to do? He really didn’t know. If anything had been obvious from the first fight it was that Changkyun was good at fighting. Really good.  _ Scary _ good. It was a fluke he had even won. If it hadn’t been for Hoseok he would probably be stuck in the hospital at that very moment. He couldn’t repay Hoseok with a metaphorical slap in the face but the knowledge that he wasn’t going to be as lucky the second time filled him with fear.

“Ki… Hey, Kiki.  _ KIHYUN! _ ”   
  
Minhyuk’s voice snapped him out of his inner thoughts and he leaned back to put some space between the two. He hadn’t even realized Minhyuk had gotten in his face.   
  
“We’re going to fight again.”   
  
It wasn’t much of a statement but Kihyun’s soft confession caught Minhyuk by surprise.   
  
“You’re going to  _ what _ ?! Kihyun, please tell me you’re joking.”   
  
“I’m not.”   
  
Minhyuk grabbed his small friend by the shoulders. “You can’t!”   
  
Kihyun turned away but made no move to get out of Minhyuk’s grip. “I have to. I don’t really know what else to do…”   
  
“Throw the fucking fight!” Minhyuk wanted to shake Kihyun back to his senses but refrained. “You owe him nothing!”   
  
“Changkyun will just hurt him again, Min.” The sadness in his voice only made Minhyuk mad.   
  
“So what? You shouldn’t have gotten involved in the first place. Kihyun, you absolute idiot!” Finally losing his patience, Minhyuk pushed Kihyun back against the grassy hill overlooking the campus they were sharing their lunch on. “He’s as much a grown ass man as we are, he can take care of himself! Please, Ki.  _ Please _ don’t do this shit to yourself again.”   
  
“....Sorry.” Kihyun made no move to push himself up off the grass. He hated how upset Minhyuk was. They finally found each other again after so many years apart and Kihyun thinking he was forgotten about and here he was, hurting his childhood best friend over someone he had only known less than a week. Why did he feel such a need to protect Hoseok? He wasn’t really sure how to answer his own question and knew there was no way he could explain himself to his blonde friend.   
  
“I’ll be careful, Min. I promise”   
  
Minhyuk folded his arms across his chest and pouted. He was mad. Sad. Irritated. So many different emotions and he wasn’t sure which one was the most important in his mind in that moment. Why was his best friend trying so hard for someone he didn't even really know? Would Kihyun do the same for him in the same situation? He would be lying to himself and the world if he said he didn’t feel a pang of jealousy at the thought. Kihyun was  _ his _ .

“Don’t come to me when you get hurt this time.”

\------------------------------

Minhyuk’s words kept playing over and over again in his head as he walked up the long floral staircase to the floating rose garden a second time. No matter what he did to clear his head they crept back. It was a distraction that he couldn’t stop thinking about and there was no way he was going to win this fight if he couldn’t focus. He understood that Minhyuk was worried about him getting hurt again but the harshness of his words still stung. Kihyun paused two thirds of the way up the staircase to get his mind in order.

_ Snap out of it, Kihyun. You have to win this for Hoseok and thinking about stupid shit isn’t helping. _

After taking a few deep breaths to calm his nerves he finished his trek to the garden. He had to remind himself not to smile when he saw Hoseok at the gate waiting for him, there was nothing good about what was about to happen. The two walked side by side towards the too familiar clearing in the center of the garden where Changkyun was waiting, sword already removed from it’s scabbard and ready to draw blood.   
  
“Took you long enough. Afraid to finally fall to my blade?”   
  
“You wish.” Kihyun scoffed. He was definitely putting up an act and doing a rather fine job at it. Inside he was a bundle of nerves just like he had been with their first fight. Showing a predator your soft belly was the worst thing to do, so he kept a brave face in front of the student council member.   
  
Just like the first duel, Hoseok pinned different colored roses to each of the duelists’ breast pockets. Kihyun was staring at the blade of Changkyun’s sword and didn’t even notice anything was happening until he felt Hoseok putting a sword - _ his sword _ \- in his hands and heard the bells chiming in the distance. As soon as the last of the bells sent out it’s eerie tone Changkyun was on him faster and harder than their first match. Where the first duel had been almost a playful joke, this duel was the exact opposite. He had thought Changkyun had been vicious in their first fight but if that had been the case he couldn’t find any words to describe just how brutal the attacks were this time. Kihyun barely had enough time between attacks to breathe, let alone block. Changkyun was leaving absolutely no room for Kihyun to even dream of landing a hit.

“Just fucking give up already!”   
  
Kihyun was being run ragged by his opponent and could barely keep up. Things were definitely not going well for him but he refused to give in no matter how much his body shook trying to keep Changkyun’s sword from meeting his flesh. After a rather heavy sword swing Changkyun smirked that same smirk that made Kihyun’s blood boil every time he saw it.   
  
“You should stop fighting so hard for a stranger.” Changkyun leaned closer to Kihyun, their swords still struggling against each other and his voice turned to a venomous whisper. “He must mean something to you already…. Did you two fuck?”   
  
Kihyun felt his face heat up in embarrassment and he didn’t realize exactly what Changkyun was trying to do. How dare he think they were anything but friends! He would never entertain the idea of something so vulgar with his sweet roommate. “Wh-what?!” 

Changkyun looked very pleased with himself that his words had exactly the effect on Kihyun that he wanted and took advantage of the fact that the pink haired man faltered. It didn’t take much force for him to break Kihyun’s block, sending him across the bed of roses with a deep gash added to his left arm. Somehow Kihyun had managed to keep himself from falling to the ground completely and used his sword to prop himself up in a kneeling position as he looked at the blood that was now oozing through the sleeve of his jacket and down his arm.   
  
“Kihyun!” Hoseok, who had been a bystander the entire fight wanted to run to Kihyun, to make sure he was okay but as soon as the name fell from his lips he was fixed with a glare from Changkyun and a sword pointed in his direction. He didn’t move from his place at the sidelines.   
  
“Stay the fuck out of this, Hoseok! Know your place!”

Kihyun just stared wide-eyed at his own arm. It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen blood before. It also wasn’t the first time he had been injured. Something about the way the blood trickled down his forearm, leaving a dark red trail through his jacket sleeve to his fingertips and onto the roses beneath him was entrancing. It didn’t even cross his mind that he had ruined yet another perfectly good jacket.   
  
“Had enough yet? Ready to give up?” Changkyun taunted from the other side of the clearing. “Just make this easier for yourself and crush that rose on your own!” He could taste victory and the rose bride returning to his side. Victory tasted so sweet, he wanted to savor it as long as he could. All that kept it from him was his opponent who seemed to be completely out of it.

Kihyun gave the rose on his own jacket pocket a glance before his eyes returned to the blood running down his fingers. He could just end it himself, rip the rose from his jacket and be done with the whole thing. With an inaudible sigh he pushed himself up off the ground and stood, eyes suddenly closed. A strange sense of calm washed over him and he couldn’t stop a laugh from bubbling up in the back of his throat as he held his face with his bloodied hand. Kihyun was sure in that moment he looked like a madman.   
  
“Why would I give up?” He pulled his hand from his pale face that was now smeared with his own blood, fixing his eyes on the cocky student council member in front of him. He moved to stand in a defensive position with his sword in front of him. It was as if he was an entirely different person from who he had been at the start of the fight and it infuriated Changkyun.

The remainder of the fight was over in a flash and Changkyun was left with the battered remnants of what had been such a beautiful purple rose to the faint sounds of bells, just as he had been in their first duel. “No… How could.. How could I have lost  _ again _ ?!”   
  
Kihyun walked away from his defeated opponent towards Hoseok as the sword disappeared from his hand. “Hoseok…” He barely made it to his roommate’s side when the tiredness hit him. “Let’s go home.” As he finished speaking he could feel himself stumble as his eyes rolled back in his head and darkness took over his mind.   
  
Hoseok managed to catch Kihyun before he hit the ground. “Kihyun!” He lightly patted the pink haired man’s cheek, trying to wake him. He was still breathing but there was no response. Hoseok sighed in relief, at least he was just passed out. He hooked his arm under Kihyun’s legs and easily lifted him up bridal style, holding him close to his own body as he turned to leave the garden and take care of the brave little prince who had fought so hard for him

\----------------------------------------

“He lost. Again.”   
  
“Obviously.”   
  
“How could he lose to some new kid who clearly doesn’t even know how to fight?”   
  
“You’re asking a question none of us have an answer for.”   
  
“I still don’t know how he managed to get his hands on the rose crest and gain entry to the duelist arena…”

“It’s all part of the End of the World’s plan.”


	5. Chapter 5

Kihyun had come to shortly after Hoseok had brought him back to their room and couldn’t really remember anything that had happened after his arm had been sliced open. The wound definitely should have had some stitches but Hoseok had made the executive decision to take care of the first aid himself. Neither man would have benefited from going to the nurses station on campus. The questions that were entirely unavoidable in that situation would have been something they would not have been able to answer. Nothing a butterfly bandage or seven and a slightly uncomfortably tight wrapping of gauze couldn’t handle. Hoseok had been so careful in removing Kihyun’s jacket and shirt from his tired body and taking care of the wound, gentle in cleaning away the blood from his arm and face and it made the pink haired man dizzy. Or it could have been from the blood loss. He was for sure going to go with blood loss. One hundred percent it had nothing to do with the fact that he was topless in front of his roommate again with his strong hands on his body. Definitely not.

Once Hoseok had felt that the wound would be good until the morning he went to rummage through his dresser, returning to Kihyun’s side with a soft button-up t-shirt that he helped the smaller man into. The only thing he allowed Kihyun to do on his own was remove his school uniform pants so he was left in his boxers and Hoseok’s oversized t-shirt that could have doubled as a dress. Ignoring or not paying any attention to the fact that Kihyun’s face was brighter red than a strawberry he gently lifted him out of the desk chair and over to their bunk beds. There was no way Kihyun was going to be able to get in and out of his top bunk in Hoseok’s mind so he put Kihyun on his own bed.    
  
“Hoseok.. I can take care of myself…” Kihyun couldn’t keep the pout from reaching his voice even as he made himself comfortable in Hoseok’s space. He was really at war with himself on whether or not he enjoyed so much attention.   
  
Hoseok fluffed up one of his pillows to make sure it was going to be just right for Kihyun and carefully pulled the blanket over his smaller roommate. “I know.”   
  
With a defeated sigh Kihyun let himself be tucked in. He looked up at Hoseok. There was something wanted to say but couldn’t find the right words. “I....Thank you.”

“Sleep. I’ll be back in a bit.”

\------------------------------------

Kihyun remembered slipping in and out of consciousness over the course of the evening and through the night. At one point he swore he remembered a freshly showered Hoseok slipping between the blankets next to him. The only reason he knew he wasn’t having some sort of weird fever dream was that when his alarm went off the next morning he woke up wrapped up in Hoseok’s protective embrace once again. It scared him how comfortable it was. He couldn’t find the energy to panic like he had the first time he found himself in that situation and carefully pulled himself out of Hoseok’s grasp so he could start getting ready for class. He wasn’t the type of person to skip just because he didn’t feel very well and wanted to stay in bed. He was sure one day wouldn’t damage his grades enough to matter but it was still basically the start of the semester. He sat at the edge of Hoseok’s bed for a moment, contemplating briefly on if he was really going to get dressed and go to class or just go back to sleep. Of course he was going to go to class. Kihyun let himself yawn and stretch one last time before he went to push himself off the bed. He didn’t get very far when he felt a hand grasp his wrist, stopping him in his tracks. Hoseok was staring up at him through a sleepy haze.   
  
“It’s Wednesday, Hoseok. We still have class.”   
  
Hoseok’s grip didn’t change and Kihyun decided to use it to his advantage to pull his roommate from the bed.   
  
“Come on, let’s get ready. We’re going to be late and end up in detention.”   
  
“Can we just skip today?” Hoseok was still not fully awake and couldn’t keep the childish whine out of his voice as he was dragged out from under the covers. He didn’t fight against his smaller companion and let himself be pulled around.   
  
“No. We can be lazy on the weekend.” Kihyun pulled his wrist out of Hoseok’s hand and went to grab their school clothes from their closets, pushing Hoseok’s uniform in the sleepy man’s arms. “If you hurry up and get ready we’ll have time to get donuts and coffee from the cafeteria before class.”   
  
The mention of food seemed to do the trick and as soon as Hoseok seemed to be more keen on getting the day started and shuffled from their room to the shared dorm bathroom Kihyun couldn’t help but pause to watch him leave ahead of him. Even still half asleep the larger man still had a sort of strange grace about him that was all his own and it intrigued Kihyun to no end. He broke himself out of his daze and hurried after Hoseok. The faster they got dressed the sooner they could get to school and get the day over with. They were only halfway through the week and it still felt like the weekend wasn’t going to be there soon enough.

Kihyun had bought their breakfast that morning despite his roommate protesting that he could buy his own. Hoseok seemed to be buying their dinner more often than not and he felt bad about it. They had enough time to inhale their donuts and coffee then run to their own homeroom classes after a brief ‘see you later’. Minhyuk was already seated in his desk by the time Kihyun made it to the room with only a few seconds to spare before the bell rang and it had been weird to not walk to class with his best friend like normal.

\--------------------------------------------   
  


The whole day it felt like he was being watched. There were always people around and he had somehow gotten his own fan club that seemed to think the universe revolved around him. He was constantly being watched by the other students but this was a much different feeling than that of his ‘fans’. It was like he was being followed by some sort of shadow that any time he tried to find the source the feeling vanished like it had never been there in the first place. It made completing his assignments and paying attention in class difficult and caused him to unnecessarily rush to and from each class to get away from the eerie sensation. The feeling was even there while he sat on the same grassy hill overlooking the campus with Minhyuk.    
  
“Ki, are you okay?” Minhyuk mumbled around his sandwich. He was back to adoring his bestie as if the argument from the previous day had never happened but Kihyun’s on-edge and skittish behavior all day worried him.   
  
Kihyun couldn’t even eat his own lunch, he was so wound up. “Yeah. I just.. I don’t know..” A sigh. “I feel like someone’s been staring at me all day.”   
  
Right at that moment a group of girls passed by, giggling and waving at Kihyun as they passed. Kihyun couldn’t be rude and gave them a small smile and wave in return which caused the giggling to increase as the girls hurried off. Kihyun sighed again once they were gone.   
  
“You’re cute as heck and everyone loves you, there are a lot of people that stare at you.”   
  
He shot his blonde friend a half-assed glare. “No this is… this is different. Whoever’s been following me doesn’t have good intentions.”   
  
Minhyuk scoffed. “How can you tell if you haven’t even seen whoever it is?”   
  
“I can feel it.” His reply was quiet. It sounded as crazy to him out loud as it had in his head.   
  
“Maybe it’s Changkyun trying to find a way to get even with you for kicking his ass twice.”

“Minhyuk!” Kihyun felt like crying. He really couldn’t deal with it if it was the angry student council member. He hadn’t run into him all day and he could go the rest of his life without seeing him again.   
  
“Sorry Ki. I thought it would be funny.” The scared look on Kihyun’s face made Minhyuk wish he could have taken his poorly thought out joke back. The two stayed quiet the rest of their break period.

Even after their lunch had ended and they returned to classes Kihyun couldn’t escape. Minhyuk’s joke only added to the paranoia being followed and watched already gave him. When the final bell rang he had gotten up from his desk and gave Minhyuk a quick goodbye before rushing out of the door. Hoseok hadn’t been there to join him on his walk back to the dorm and he was sure all of those little old ladies who walked the malls in the morning would have been a mixture of jealous and impressed by how fast he had power walked back to the dorm.

The remainder of the week went the same. Once he wasn’t in the safety of his room he felt that feeling on the back of his neck like someone was there, behind him with not-so-savory intentions. Someone or something was scrutinizing his every move, trying to find all of his weak spots to log away in it’s memory for later use. It was ridiculous and he knew it, the school was probably the safest place outside of the police station. The longer it went on the faster he snapped at people. Thursday before lunch he had made a girl in his photography class cry. He didn’t mean to. She had come up behind him so quietly in her shyness that when she finally spoke to ask him to go to lunch with her it caught him off guard and he had yelled at her. Of course she had run off in tears before he could apologize and the rest of the day he had the addition of her friends’ glares on him to go with his invisible stalker.   
  
By the end of the day on Friday he was pretty sure he was going insane. His nerves were so tightly wound he was afraid he was going to finally, officially snap. He hadn’t slept much the past two nights even after he had crawled his way into Hoseok’s bed seeking out his roommate’s protective embrace after hours of tossing and turning. Hoseok thankfully never asked him any questions either night, had only lifted the covers so he could snuggle up and try to get whatever sleep he could. Hoseok was safe and being alone was not. There was no room in his brain to worry about the sudden shift from wanting to get away from his roommate to seeking him out.

The end-of-the-day bell rang and Kihyun felt himself almost mechanically getting up out of his desk and heading towards the door. He was  _ so tired _ and just wanted to find his roommate and hide in their room. Minhyuk closely followed him and for the first time since school had started he was actually relieved to see Hoseok waiting outside. He hated admitting defeat but there was no denying that if there really was someone stalking Kihyun, Mr. Muscles was better suited to protecting their small friend than he was. The skinny blonde was crafty for sure but sometimes brawn was much better than brain, especially when it came to someone as precious as the pink haired boy in front of him whose eyes were bloodshot and surrounded by darkness from lack of sleep.

Minhyuk put his hands on Kihyun’s shoulders and led him right into Hoseok. Kihyun was too exhausted to protest, leaning against his roommate like he was the only thing keeping him upright. The lilac haired man looked at Kihyun first then turned a curious gaze on the blonde.   
  
“Hoseok, take care of him for me.” Minhyuk handed Hoseok Kihyun’s bag that had been unintentionally forgotten at his desk. “I’m going to see if I can figure out what’s freaking him out.”   
  
Hoseok slung Kihyun’s bag over his shoulder with his own and nodded. “I will. Be careful.”   
  
The two shared a worried look then parted ways, Hoseok with an arm around Kihyun’s shoulders towards their shared home and Minhyuk ready to find the bastard that was causing his best friend so much stress.

\----------------------------------------

It didn’t take long for the blonde to find his target. Well…  _ targets _ to be more precise. Minhyuk had only been expecting to find one person and somehow ended up with the entire student council in his crosshairs. He wasn’t entirely sure how he had managed to sneak into the building where the council held their weekly meetings. He had hidden himself in an adjacent room and the door to the council room had been left open just enough that he could hear the conversation.   
  
“I told you to leave him alone.”   
  
“I didn’t do anything!”   
  
“The poor boy looks terrible… How can you say that?”   
  
“I just followed him around a bit, is that illegal or something?!”   
  
There was a long pause. Minhyuk wished he could see what was going on but he was not going to risk getting caught eavesdropping.   
  
“I won’t do it anymore, okay? I just wanted to see what I could find out...”   
  
“You should probably apologize to him. Poor thing...”   
  
“I didn’t do anything wrong! You can go fuck yourself!”   
  
“Honey.”

“....Fine.”   
  
There was a rustle of papers and then a set of footsteps heading to the door of the room Minhyuk was in.   
  
_ Shit! _ __   
__   
Minhyuk tried to get out as quietly but quickly as possible. He had gotten into the hall right as the door had slammed open and whoever was leaving the meeting was stomping through the room hot on his tail. He was terrified of getting caught after what he just heard. No one messed with the student council. There had been good reason for it too, you messed with the student council and you disappeared from the campus. He had made it outside without being caught and pressed his back against the wall once he had gotten around the building and into a nearby alley, out of breath and trying not to panic. He was just about to sigh with relief when he heard the crunch of shoes on the ground.   
  
“What are you doing here?”   
  
Minhyuk felt like his heart stopped beating and every ounce of blood drained from his body. Standing in front of him was the second youngest member of the student council. His hair was the color of cool ocean waves but the look he was giving Minhyuk burned hotter than the sun and the blonde wasn’t really sure what he was going to do to get out of this one. He was  _ so fucked _ .   
  
“J-jooheon...I uh…” He swallowed hard, then smiled nervously. “I got turned around trying to find a friend’s dorm...” There was no way he was going to be believed. He had been going to this school for years and there was no way he could have actually been able to pull off getting freaking lost on a campus he knew like the back of his hand. He wished he had said more to Kihyun earlier that day because now he wasn’t going to see him ever again. He even found himself sad about not seeing his friend’s creepy but hot roommate again. Minhyuk could feel the younger man’s scrutinizing glare and it made him shiver. The silence was horrifying.   
  
“.....Don’t come around here again.” Jooheon gave the blonde one more disapproving look before turning and disappearing around the building.   
  
Minhyuk felt himself slide down the wall until he was sitting on cool concrete. He was  __ alive and it didn’t sound like he was going to get kicked out of school. Once he felt the blood return to his arms and legs he pushed himself up off the ground and hurried back to his own dorm. He would have to talk with Kihyun in the morning and let his friend know he wasn’t crazy or imagining things and someone really had been following him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ch5 was hard to get finished and ch6 is proving even more difficult. D; may be another week or two before i get ch6 finished, beta'd and posted. my brain keeps wanting to work on other au fics/read other people's fics instead of working on my own.
> 
> thanks for sticking with me so far. ;;

**Author's Note:**

> first fully fleshed out fic idea in a long time, first fic i've published in even longer. super nervous to post this, please take good care of me.


End file.
